


Captare

by madasthesea



Series: Fure [15]
Category: The Queen's Thief - Megan Whalen Turner
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-17
Updated: 2016-12-17
Packaged: 2018-09-09 03:06:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8873398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madasthesea/pseuds/madasthesea
Summary: Modern AU. Gen takes Irene on a date, despite her misgivings.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is a College AU, where Irene is a graduate student, Gen is a college freshman. Darlings.

Irene did not do _dates_. Dating was childish, foolish, uncomfortable. She didn’t date and everyone who knew her was aware of that. And yet, Gen, smiling a familiar sly smile up at her with his ridiculous hook earring glinting in the light, seemed to be fairly determined. 

“Fine,” she snapped. “But I pick what we’re doing. And when.”

“If you insist,” Eugenides said, giving a long-suffering sigh. He’d probably already had an absurdly elaborate date planned out. Irene pursed her lips, then turned on her stiletto heel and marched away. “I’ll call you!” He shouted after her, and Irene cursed him, blushing.

 

She picked him up Friday evening at 6 PM precisely, half expecting him to be running late. But he came out immediately, his suit pressed and his hair in a neat, short ponytail. Upon climbing into the front seat, he told her she looked beautiful, and she snapped at him that his directions had been difficult to follow, and peeled away from the curb.

They went to dinner, because Irene, though she would never admit it, didn’t know what else one did on dates. She’d been on a few before, and hated all of them, but this was what she was familiar with. Gen didn’t seem to mind. He chatted off and on. She usually responded with terse, one word answers. By the end of the dinner, his enthusiasm seemed to have waned. Irene cursed herself, but also felt a touch of vindictive pleasure. 

He payed the check, which for some reason left her floundering for words and trying to hide her blush. After leaving the restaurant, she’d turned toward her car, expecting that he wanted to go home, but he’d gently caught her wrist and pulled her the other way.

Flushing, she yanked her hand away. He looked up at her, looking like he might apologize. But then he caught her blush, and his expression turned impish in his delight. She huffed.

“Where are we going?” She asked, turning up her nose imperiously and refusing to make eye contact. 

“I have something I want to show you,” he said, shrugging to hide his earnestness. She stayed rooted to the spot. When he didn’t explain further, she shook her head and turned away. The fool could walk home. 

“Irene,” he called. There was a jingling sound. Irene turned slowly around. In his hand were her keys, the little honey bee charm swinging merrily. Her jaw dropped. She was about to explode at him, threaten to call the police on that _little thief_ , but he smiled, sweet and imploring, and her breath caught. She’d never seen that smile before.

“Come on,” he insisted, gesturing with a tilt of his head. Refusing to let go of her annoyance, she stomped forward.

“This is basically kidnapping,” she snapped at him. He just chuckled, a soft sound under his breath. Then he led her through a maze of alleys, up a series of fire escapes, and to the roof of an old theater. Below them, the city spread out, the university in east. The setting sun reflected off the windows, making it look like they were in the center of a lake of fire. 

For a moment, Irene forgot to keep her face neutral. She felt her mouth turn up in a smile, her eyes wide in awe. When she glanced at Gen, he was smiling at her, and this one, too, was completely new. It was soft and honest, something she’d never known him to be. 

“I’ve never seen you smile like that,” he observed quietly. Blushing, Irene looked down at her hands, clasped in front of her. “It’s beautiful.” She scoffed lightly, glancing up at him. He was walking on the very edge of the building, completely unconcerned.

“Get down from there, you’ll fall to your death,” she gasped. Gen looked up at her in surprise, his honest expression disappearing. They made eye contact for half a second, then his arms were windmilling as he rocked back on his heels. A gust a wind knocked him over and he disappeared from sight. 

“Gen!” Irene screamed, sprinting to the edge, collapsing onto her hands and knees and peering down. A few feet below her, Gen rested lazily on a six inch ledge, one foot dangling below him. He was grinning, that familiar sly grin that always made her want to hit something. 

Pressing a hand to her heart, Irene took a shuddering breath. “You jerk. I hate you so much.” He threw his head back and laughed so loud it echoed back to them.

Eugenides stood on his ledge and pulled himself back onto the roof. He sat so close to her she could practically feel his heartbeat. “I really don’t think you do,” he whispered. She almost pushed him off the roof again. Almost. 


End file.
